


Not the end of the line

by GreenGlitchBitch



Series: Stucky oneshots [7]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers Feels, End of Endgame, F/M, I guessed how its gonna end, I haven't seen it yet, M/M, Self-Sacrificing Steve Rogers, Tears, Temporary Character Death, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-31 06:47:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18585952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenGlitchBitch/pseuds/GreenGlitchBitch
Summary: It had been a long, hard fought battle, but in the end, they won. When Tony had managed to find his way back to Earth, he set work on finding a way to get everyone back from the Soul Stone realm. It required a space trip, and a lot of long nights in the lab, but they had finally accomplished it.





	Not the end of the line

**Author's Note:**

> This was an idea I had for a little bit, going off of the theory everyone has that Steve is gonna die in Endgame. Personally, I don't want that, but I thought this was an interesting idea. Also, there are no Endgame spoilers in this, I haven't seen the movie yet. If you have, please, don't comment any spoilers, I don't want the movie spoiled for me. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy!

It had been a long, hard fought battle, but in the end, they won. When Tony had managed to find his way back to Earth, he set work on finding a way to get everyone back from the Soul Stone realm. It required a space trip, and a lot of long nights in the lab, but they had finally accomplished it. With the return of everyone who had been snapped, Tony had set his sights on making another Infinity Gauntlet, one that could hold all the stones, just like the one Thanos had wielded.

  He worked day and night, with Shuri, Bruce and Peter at his side, and with some help from Thor, who had known the people who forged the gauntlet, they accomplished their goal. This was a game changer for the Avengers, and they were finally ready for a fight against Thanos. It didn’t take very long finding him. He came to them, and found a fight he hadn’t expected.

  In the end, it was Thor who dealt the final blow, his axe the only way to kill him. With Thanos dead, they quickly collected the Infinity Stones from the gauntlet, and placed them in the gauntlet Tony made. They quickly began celebrating, but in the celebration, none of them noticed the last Thanos follower getting up. She had been shot by Tony’s repulsor, but they had all assumed her dead, and continued on the arduous battle against Thanos.

  She went up to the nearest person to her, who was Steve, and ran her blade right through his abdomen, stabbing him as hard as she could. Tony quickly reacted, shooting her again with his repulsor, making sure she was dead, as Steve fell to the ground.

  “Steve, no!” a scream was heard, and Bucky came running in, catching Steve before he could hit the ground, and held his head in his lap. Nobody knew what to do, so they stood by, and watched.

  “Buck. This might be the end of the line for us” Steve said weakly, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. Bucky shook his head.

  “No. No, you don’t! After all we’ve been through over the years, this is not the end! Don’t you dare say that!” Bucky said back, sounding angry, not willing to let go, as tears ran down his face.

  “Don’t blame yourself for this, because I know you will. It should have been this way decades ago. If I could, I would have easily given my life, to keep you from everything Hydra ever did to you” Steve said, a small smile appearing on his face, as a tear streaked down out of the corner of his eye, and rolled down his cheek.

  “No. No. No, don’t say that. You do not get to leave me here like this. Not when I just got you back. We still have so much to do together. Who’s going to help me take care of the goats? Who’s going to hold me when the nightmares get to be too much? Who’s going to love me?” Bucky asked, his voice filled with desperation, as tears fell down his face.

  “Buck, you’ve always taken care of me, for as long as I can remember. You kept me alive when I was too sick to stand. You patched my up after every fight. I love you. Never forget that. This is the end of the line for me” Steve said, sounding weak, as he slowly raised his hand, and rested it on Bucky’s cheek, wiping away his tears with his thumb.

  “Steve, please don’t leave me. I just got you back. Don’t leave me alone in this world. I love you, I can’t lose you again” Bucky said, sobbing, his voice quiet and strained with emotion. Steve smiled at him again, a sad look on his face.

  “You won’t lose me. I’ll always be looking over you, along with Ma, Becca, and your folks. You won’t be alone, I promise” Steve said, slowly. He moved his hand from Bucky’s cheek, to the back of his neck, and slowly pulled Bucky’s face down to his, catching Bucky’s lips with his own, in a final, weak kiss. Bucky kissed him back slowly, tears fell from his face and landed on Steve’s, as he felt Steve’s lips stop moving, and his hand fell limp to the ground. Bucky knew Steve was dead, but didn’t dare move.

  “I love you” he said, pulling back from Steve’s face, and getting a look at it. There was a light smile on Steve’s face, and he looked relaxed. Bucky felt all his emotions reach his chest like a flood, and the dam burst, as he broke down into sobs again. He hugged Steve’s body as tightly as he could, rocking them back and forth slightly, as if the motion would somehow comfort him. He sobbed for a few minutes, when he remembered that they still had the stones, and they could get Steve back. He gently laid Steve’s body down on the ground, and slowly stood up, walking towards Tony.

  “Woah, what are you doing, Barnes?” Tony said, raising his hands up in defence, backing up slightly, not knowing what to think.

  “You have the stones, and the gauntlet. You can bring him back. Please” Bucky said, feeling the lump in his throat build up again, knowing he would get to see Steve alive again. But, to his shock, Tony started shaking his head.

  “I can’t do that, Barnes. Steve wanted this, he accepted it, willingly. I can’t take that away from him. I’m not going to take away the rest that he’s wanted for years” Tony said sadly, but with resolution. Bucky couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

  “Tony, please. This is Steve we’re talking about. He would jump on a nuke, if he thought he could save even one innocent life. Please bring him back to me. I can’t live without him again. I’ve already had to do that for over 70 years, I can’t go through that again” Bucky said, feeling the tears catch in his eyes again, hoping Tony would see it his way, and agree. But again, Tony shook his head.

  “I understand how this feels, and how it looks. But, while I want Steve back too, I don’t even know if I can bring him back with the stones. I’m sorry” Tony said, sadly, placing his hand on Bucky’s shoulder, and squeezing it, trying to comfort the super soldier. Bucky looked around the rest of the team, who were all silent, not knowing what to do, some even wiping their eyes, when his eyes landed on a green woman.

  “We brought Gamora back with the stones, and from what she told us, she wasn’t dusted, she was killed, thrown off a cliff. We can bring him back, I know we can” Bucky said, feeling the desperation rise in him. There was a way to get Steve back, he knew it. Tony shook his head again.

  “Look, Bucky, I know how badly you want him back. But even if we could bring Steve back, he doesn’t want it. He accepted the death he was given. He can finally get the rest he wants” Tony said, sounding resolved again, as if he was done with the argument. Bucky felt another sob build up in his throat.

  “Tony, I know we don’t know each other that well. I know you might still resent me for what I did to your parents. I’m so so sorry for what I did to you and to them. If I could trade my life for theirs, I would in a heartbeat. But, you have someone you love, right? I’ve never met her, but Steve told me about Pepper, and everything you did for her, how you fought to save her from enhanced people. I know you gave up your suits for her, to make sure she was always safe. Imagine if Pepper had died in your arms. Imagine if there was a way to save her, but someone said no. I know you and her are engaged, and I’m so happy for the both of you. I hope you live a happy life together. But, imagine if you lost her, and could get her back. Would you do it?” Bucky asked, his voice breaking, as he felt the sob come closer to escaping his throat.

  “Would you do everything in your power to bring her back? Would you ignore all logic, just to get to see her, alive, breathing, again? Please, don’t make me live without Steve. He thinks he wants it, because in his mind, he is making up for letting me fall. He thinks that it was his fault, and he wants to make things right. But he doesn’t know how it feels, to see the person you love die in your arms. I’ve lost him too many times. I can’t live with that again. I can’t live without him, not after all the times I’ve been forced to. I understand your logic, Tony, I really do. But please, don’t make me live in a world without Steve, because I can’t. Please, I am begging you with everything in my body, please. Bring my husband back to me. You would do the same for Pepper” Bucky said, giving in to all the emotions he felt in his chest, and finally released the sob that had stuck in his throat. He fell to his knees in front of Tony, and sobbed into his hands, unable to stop the flow of tears. He heard someone kneel down in front of him, and he felt a robotic arm rest on his shoulder. He looked up, and saw Tony in front of him, an understanding look in his eyes.

  “You’re right. I would do the same for Pepper. I would burn heaven to the ground, and freeze hell to ice, to get her back if she died. I would wage a war on the entire universe to save her. I know that feeling all too well, like you said. I fought as hard as I could to get her back a few years ago. I destroyed my suits to make sure that she would be safe. And I would do it all over again, if I had to. Yes, we don’t know each other well at all. And yes, I still hold some resentment to you for what you did to my parents, even though I’ve forgiven you. You may have been the one holding the gun, but Hydra pulled the trigger, not you. I know I would use the stones to bring back the woman I love, so I’ll do the same for the man you love. It’s wrong of me, to try and keep Steve away from you, even if he thinks it’s right. I won’t keep you from your husband, that’s not right of me. You’ll have Steve back, alive and breathing” Tony said, sounding determined. Bucky couldn’t believe what he just heard, but he wasn’t about to question it, and potentially make Tony change his mind. He pulled Tony into a hug, shocking not only Tony, but everyone else around them, indicated by the several gasps from the people around them.

  “Thank you, Tony, thank you. Thank you, thank you. I can’t thank you enough for this” Bucky said, feeling tears fall down his cheeks again, but this time, they were tears of joy, not sadness. Tony wrapped his arms around Bucky in response, returning the hug, which surprised Bucky.

  “Don’t thank me. I’m a sucker for romance stories” Tony said, jokingly, and Bucky laughed. They didn’t hug for long, and when they both seperated, Tony snapped the fingers of the gauntlet, and looked around, nervously, making sure nobody disappeared. Bucky looked down at his hands, scared he would float away, but when he didn’t fall into a pile of dust, nor did anyone else, he looked up at the rest of the group. He heard a groan from behind him, and quickly turned around, feeling tears well in his eyes again, as he saw his husband sit up slowly. Bucky ran over to him quickly, and fell to his knees, just before reaching Steve. He pulled Steve into a tight hug, not wanting to let go, almost scared that if he did, Steve would stop breathing.

  “Buck, what...what happened? I remember getting stabbed, you were crying. We kissed, and everything went black. What happened?” Steve asked, sounding confused, but returning Bucky’s hug nonetheless.

  “Don’t ever do that again. Don’t ever leave me like that again, you self-sacrificing asshole” Bucky said, feeling tears fall down his cheeks again, for the millionth time that day.

  “Buck, I--” 

  “No! You do not get to choose whether or not you leave me!” Bucky interrupted.

  “I just got you back, after decades of being forced apart. Just because you think that you dying finally pays some kind of penance to an accident that you had no control over, that happened over 70 years, does not mean that you can accept it, and leave your team, your friends, your family, me, behind. Do not ever do that again, Steven. I would much rather fall from that train a thousand times over, if it meant that I got to be with you in the end. I would rather go through the torture Hydra put me through for 70 years, over and over again, if it meant that I don’t have to watch you die” Bucky said, holding Steve as tightly as he could, tears still streaming down his face. 

  “When we got married, you promised me that you would always be there for me, through all our troubles” Bucky leaned back from the hug, grabbed Steve’s left hand, and pulled the glove off it. He pressed his left hand against Steve’s, the gold band of his metal ring finger held against Steve’s own gold band that rested on his ring finger.

  “You don’t know how ready I was to tear the whole world apart, just to bring you back. You haven’t changed, after all these years. That little guy from Brooklyn, who was too dumb not to run away from a fight, he’s still in here” Bucky said, holding their hands over Steve’s chest.

  “He’s just hidden under all that muscle. But I need you to promise me, that just because that little guy is now a big guy, who can take a lot more and keep going, doesn’t mean that he needs to. I need you to promise me that  that little guy won’t push the big guy. Promise me, that you won’t ever do that again” Bucky said, staring into Steve’s eyes.

  “I promise” Steve said, and Bucky smiled, before leaning in, and kissing Steve. Steve kissed back almost instantly, and Bucky couldn’t help but smiling into the kiss. He had been so sure that he wouldn’t be able to kiss Steve again. They were in their own little world together, content in each others arms, not caring about their surroundings. Until they heard a throat clear, and they were pulled back into reality. They pulled apart, and saw Tony, looking confused.

  “I didn’t question it before, because it was an emotional moment, and you were in distress, Barnes. But now that that’s over, I’m gonna ask, husbands?! Since when?!” he asked, sounding just as confused as he looked. Bucky looked over at Steve timidly, knowing Steve would be shocked that Tony knew.

  “You told them” Steve asked, sounding more concerned than anything.

  “I didn’t really think about it at the time, I was just trying to get you back! It slipped out, okay” Bucky said, rolling his eyes, but smiling at Steve. Steve smiled back, and they both looked back at Tony.

  “Well, I guess we have some explaining to do”


End file.
